Saturday, October 12, 2013

In lieu of silence

In lieu of silenceIn lieu of silence, I offer this poem.In lieu of surrender, I offer this prayer.Unable with my whole heart to praise You,I compose these poems of praise,mitigated by inquiry and complaint;by words themselves. In lieu of conviction,I assiduously examine and guard my faith,lest a wall should crumble, a foundation crack.In my lack of poise,I lay at Your feet my desperationand because my obedience is so shaky,I repeat constantly my repentancesfor the breaking of my high-minded vows.I can't live up to Your measurebut, You are the measure. It is Youfor Whom I break my own silence,reaching out of my shell with petitions,questions, grievances and grief.You are the Hub around which my thoughts,my being revolve in this mad, whirling experiencein which I find myself and hope,one day, to lose myself ... and find You.O child of God, when a poem breaks your heartyou know you've moved a smidgen closer to the core. (Unpublished)